There has been no striking improvement in the manufacture of puddled
iron, partly on account of the impression that it is doomed to be
superseded by steel. Mechanical puddling has made but little progress,
and few of the attempts to economize fuel in the puddling furnace, by
the use of gas or otherwise, have been successful. I would, however,
draw attention to the remarkable success which has attended the use of
the Bicheroux gas puddling and heating furnaces at the works of
Ougrée, near Liege. The works produce 20,000 tons of puddled bars per
annum, in fifteen double furnaces. The consumption of coal per ton of
ordinary puddled bar is under 11 cwt., and per ton of "fer à fin
grain" (puddled steel, etc.) 16 cwt. The gas is produced from slack,
and the waste heat raises as much steam as that from an ordinary
double furnace. The consumption of pig iron per ton of puddled bar was
rather less than 21½ cwts. for the year 1882; and that of "mine" for
fettling was 33 lb. The repairs are said to be considerably less than
in the ordinary furnaces, and the puddlers earn from 25 to 30 per
cent. more at the same tonnage rate. I have already mentioned the
large consumption, reckoned in tons of pig iron, of the materials for
shipbuilding.